[johnny59]

I'm very close to picking the Passport as my next car purchase. But I don't understand why a lot of members here seem to have changed or want to change the stock wheels and tires. I'm looking at an Elite and those have 265/45R20. Why would I want smaller diameter wheel? What will it improve? And what about the sidewall - should that be more than the 45 that comes stock? I know it's probably a basic question but I'd like to understand why so many people are changing their wheels and tires and if I should too

Thanks

 

[aarondixon]

There are people here more versed on the technical differences, so I will address the practical differences. The OEM 20" tires and rims on the Passport are Low-Profile, meaning the number of inches between the pavement (road) and the rim are "small".

If you are buying one for city/paved roads driving, there should be no problems at all.

But since Honda touts the Passport as being "off-road capable" these are the complete wrong tire & rim combination. A smaller rim (17' or 18") with a tire that has the same overall diameter, will give you more inches between the dirt (road) and the rim. These added inches are what cushions the off-road ride and allows for better performance on dirt roads.

They also usually have different tire thread patterns for pavement vs dirt.

hope that helps...

 

[johnny59]

Yup that makes sense - thanks.

What about infrequent off-road trips? Would it still be worthwhile changing tires and wheels if most of my driving is on pavement?

Also how do tires/wheel sizes affect road noise and mileage?

 

[aarondixon]

I think you will be fine, with well groomed dirt roads.

I would venture to guess that Honda did some testing and bench-marking of tire and rim combinations prior to the production release.

So, my further guess would be that any tire and rim change away from the OEM set-up could decrease your gas mileage and increase road (tire) noise.

 

[stephanie25]

Search on here for rims and tires and you will get a wide variety of thoughts.

The continental tires have horrible reviews, but many PP owners have turned out to be ok with them.
Personally, I have made three (300 + mile) road trips on them and they are solid.

The rims are a hit or miss. The gloss black is not liked by some and some don't mind it. I am on the fence still about my gloss black rims. They do hold water spots very easy and that's why I am looking at getting them powder coated depending on the price or replaced when I need new tires.

Also, I found that Discount Tire/America's Tire (if you have one near you), will put their certificate on the new Continental tires for about $200. A replacement tire will cost you about $250.

 

[josechaney]

I'm no expert on tires and wheels, but... smaller is supposed to provide a more comfortable ride than larger. Truth is I was concerned about this since I was coming from an old Pilot with much smaller wheels/tires, and I thought the ride would not be comfortable. Nope, I'm quite comfortable. And since I only do paved roads 98% of the time, I'm perfectly fine with the 20" wheels.

 

[mnichols]

I had Continental tires on my 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. They were good in rain and snow but the chip sealed roads in Montana eat tires. We got 27,000 miles on them before Michelins went on.
Mike

 

[cchambers]

I've read some of the negative reviews of the Continental tires that come on our Passports. After 2 months of ownership and about 1800 miles, I have no complaints with the tires. They seem quiet and provide a smooth ride. I don't anticipate much if any off-roading so I'm not concerned about their low profile design.

 

[pmolina]

An excerpt from an auto magazine.
"Sport and Elite trims will receive the gloss black wheels you see in these pictures, while EX-L and Touring get silver wheels. Regardless of the trim you choose, 20-inch wheels will be standard. From Sport to Elite, Honda will only offer one size for the wheels—and they give the Passport a nice aesthetic stance. Sport and EX-L get 245/50 R20 all-weather tires, while Elite and Touring are equipped with wider 265/45 R20s."

Food for thought:
If you need an Elite then you are stuck with '45' aspect ratio tires. The Sport and EX-L for instance, have '50' aspect ratio tires. So - if you need luxury AND off-road use then it is the Elite. If much of your use is off-road and you are not adverse to dealing with mud and a few paint scratches, don't need all the luxury touches and and don't have to "look good" in the neighborhood or have a "nice esthetic stance", then get a Sport or EX-L. Save some money and get the best camping gear or even mud flaps. See also:
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/honda/passport

 

[johnny59]

Thanks. I'm targeting the Elite for features and not very much into off roading. Might do it just because I have the Passport


I was considering if I should go smaller on wheels and then take the tire sidewall side up. But looks like it would be a waste for me.

 

[lisa91]

I think most people who switch are doing so more for offroad capability reasons. If you dont plan to, the lower aspect tires are fine for city driving. Lower aspect tires do have some disadvantages as the stiffer side walls make them louder over small bumps and make be a tad rougher. Lower aspect tires also tend to cost more to replace.

For offroading you would want more sidewall on your tires. Dont want to scrape those aluminum wheels. With more side wall you can also air down your tires a little bit for better grip over rocky terrain. In addition off road tire selection is much better on say a 18" wheel than a 20" because that's what a lot of people use.

Also keep in mind increasing or decreasing your tire aspect ratio will usually affect your speedometer as well.

 

[johnny59]

I think most people who switch are doing so more for offroad capability reasons. If you dont plan to, the lower aspect tires are fine for city driving. Lower aspect tires do have some disadvantages as the stiffer side walls make them louder over small bumps and make be a tad rougher. Lower aspect tires also tend to cost more to replace.

For offroading you would want more sidewall on your tires. Dont want to scrape those aluminum wheels. With more side wall you can also air down your tires a little bit for better grip over rocky terrain. In addition off road tire selection is much better on say a 18" wheel than a 20" because that's what a lot of people use.

Also keep in mind increasing or decreasing your tire aspect ratio will usually affect your speedometer as well.

How much louder will they be? I do want to keep road noise down.

I was thought you could reduce the wheel size in conjunction with increasing the sidewall of the tire and come to the same combined diameter and thus have the speedometer unaffected?

 

[lisa91]

How much louder will they be? I do want to keep road noise down.

I was thought you could reduce the wheel size in conjunction with increasing the sidewall of the tire and come to the same combined diameter and thus have the speedometer unaffected?

Yes you are correct, as long as it ends up being the same height you are good. I wasn't clear, I was just saying if you keep the stock wheels and decide to change the tire ratio.

As for noise difference I have no idea. Maybe test drive a Passport and then a ridgeline. I dont know lol.